MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2002
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 7A
Rocky
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
Denton has figured out how to juggle his busy schedule of going to class, working two jobs and being in two shows a night.
"I just don't sleep," he said. "I love it, I don't do anything I don't love."
Neither he nor Ashmore are strangers to the theater. Denton has been in University Theatre productions such as The Bartered Bride, along with productions of Tony and Tina's Wedding and The Sound of Music with Lawrence Community Theatre.
Ashmore has been acting since childhood, he said, and has been in University theater productions such as Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Denton said because the music from The Rocky Horror Picture Show had never been written down, his first experience as musical director was a challenge.
"It was sort of like folk music,"
Denton spent about four to five hours transcribing each of the musical's 18 songs. Being the musical director as well as a cast member is not easy, he said.
he said.
"It's been tough," he said. "My plate's really full."
Ashmore said the time crunch before a show could be stressful.
"Before a show, I run around like a chicken screaming," he said.
Ashmore has only a brief period of time before a show to put on a complex costume.
He wears a full face of garish makeup, fishnet tights, knee-high stiletto boots, and more.
His costume was supposed to be more risque.
"Originally I was supposed to wear all-baring pants, but I didn't think I would feel comfortable," he said.
"Now that we've gotten into doing the show, I don't think I would care."
Denton said since he has begun wearing high heeled boots and other uncomfortable clothing originally worn by women, he
Presented by Minds Eye Theatre through Aug. 31 at Just Off Broadway, 3051 Central, Call 913-341-9399 for tickets.
The Rocky Horror Show
Show times are 8 p.m. and midnight, Friday and Saturday.
Student discounts are given for Tuesday and Wednesday night shows, tickets are $10, the show is at 8 p.m.
has gained a greater respect for them.
His costume consists of leather pants so tight that they give him a rash, a cut-off mesh shirt, and nipple rings which Denton got specifically for the show.
"I definitely have a greater compassion for women," he said. "I'll never complain about shaving my face again."
Contact Stauffer at
contact author@lstauffer@kansan.com. This story was edited by Christina Neff.
Boeing workers rally for better pay
The Associated Press
SEATAC, Wash. — Hundreds of Boeing machinists and union supporters rallied yesterday outside the hotel where contract negotiations are going down to the wire.
When negotiations resumed afterward at 3:30 p.m. PDT, Boeing raised its offer of a third-year wage increase to 3 percent from 2.5 percent, said Machinists union spokeswoman Connie Keilher.
"They just aren't listening," Kellher said, noting top issues of the 26,000-member Machinists union are job security, pensions and health care.
Some hard bargaining remains before Boeing makes its final contract offer tomorrow.
The current contract expires Sept. 1 for the union members, who work in Washington, Wichita, Kan., and Portland, Ore. Most of them build commercial jets for the Chicago-based aircraft and aerospace firm.
Then, on Thursday, union
"People feel really betrayed,really dejected.It's all about profits,short term They've completely sold out to the stockholders."
Stan Hoit
Boeing tool-and-die maker
members are to choose whether to accept it. If not, a two-thirds majority would be needed to approve a strike.
With picket signs and chants, supporters gathered yesterday at the site where talks have been going on since Aug.15.
"This membership has been hammered by layoffs," said Matt Bates, a Machinists spokesman at the rally. "The mood is grim."
Picket signs were plentiful: "My Dad deserves a good contract," "Where is my future?" and "Jobs for us."
Stan Hoit carried a picket sign
and a lot of bitterness.
"People feel really betrayed, really dejected," said Hoit, a tool-and-die maker who's spent 27 years with Boeing. "It's all about profits, short term. They've completely sold out to the stockholders."
For its part, Boeing knows that its customers are watching very closely, said Chuck Cadena, Boeing spokesman. They want to know they have a reliable partner and that the company is going to make rational decisions to provide affordable products and services, he said.
In the middle is Jeff Clark, a federal mediator called in to help narrow the differences.
"Both sides are working hard to put this together," Clark said, "but there are certainly a lot of difficult issues that have to get resolved."
The company's initial offer included a 6 percent ratification bonus and 2.5 percent pay raises in the second and third years of the contract.
Nebraska lawsuit costly for state
The Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. — The State of Nebraska will spend about $3 to every dollar spent by opponents to defend itself in a lawsuit over the state's failure to site a low-level nuclear waste storage facility.
About half of the state's $21 million tab — an estimated $11 million — will be paid to two Washington, D.C., law firms, The Omaha World-Herald reported in Sunday editions.
Utility companies and the five-state compact that sued the state are expected to spend about $6 million, according to information compiled by the World-Herald.
The state had no choice but to mount a vigorous defense, Gov. Mike Johanns said.
About $5 million will be paid in attorney fees to two Nebraska firms.
A 1999 ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf made it clear he felt the state appeared to act in bad faith and the decision was determined politically in advance, Johanns said.
The comparison fails to describe Nebraska's situation, he said.
"Our attorneys had no choice but to try to literally take this apart piece by piece with the financial issues and environmental issues," Johanns told the World-Herald.
The trial has centered on Nebraska's 1998 refusal to license a low-level waste storage facility in Boyd County.
The accusation has been denied by Nelson and others, who said the license was refused because there is a wetlands on the site and the company charged with building the facility was not financially fit.
The five-state compact that sought to build the regional facility accused then-Gov. Ben Nelson of stacking the deck against the license and denying it for political reasons. The lawsuit was filed in 1998.
Washington's Collier Shannon Scott law firm was hired at Nelson's request to represent the state. Attorney General Don Stenberg said.
Closing arguments are set for Sept. 10, in the trial that ended July 31.
Stenberg said his office did not have the resources needed to
Reynolds left to join the Howrey Simon firm in 2000. He remained on the case with attorneys from his new firm and lawyers from Collier Shannon Scott.
Bradford Reynolds, a former assistant attorney general for civil rights in President Ronald Reagan's administration, was a lead litigator of the firm.
The Washington firms had six lawyers in the courtroom who were working full-time on the case during the trial. At least five others worked part-time on the case.
handle a case of this magnitude and the firm had worked with the state during the licensing process.
The compact's top two attorneys — Alan Peterson of Lincoln and Tom Johnson of Omaha — were paid $250 and $205 per hour respectively.
The state's top two lawyers — Reynolds and John Wittenborn — were paid $280 per hour.
At stake for Nebraska taxpayers is $200 million—the high-end estimate of what the state could be ordered to pay if it loses the case.
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Peterson received about $200 per hour before the trial, the World-Herald reported.
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